Southbound I-680 ethanol spill creates mid-morning traffic gridlock

Friday morning closure causes delays of 30+ minutes into South Bay

California Highway Patrol reopened Interstate 680 southbound just after 3 p.m. Friday after after a morning closure south of Pleasanton due to an ethanol spill.

An ethanol tanker clipped a tow truck that was assisting a disabled big rig on the right shoulder of southbound 680 at Andrade Road in Sunol around 8:55 a.m. Friday, sheering off some valves on the ethanol tank, said California Highway Patrol spokesman Officer Derek Reed.

Ethanol spilled onto the road, and CHP closed the southbound lanes of the highway completely around 10 a.m. while the spill was cleaned and another ethanol tanker was called to transport the remaining 8,100 gallons the damaged tanker still had inside, he said.

Traffic was being diverted onto Highway 84 and onto northbound 680 so drivers can take Interstate 580 over to Interstate 880 to get into the South Bay, Reed said.

The tow truck also reported damage, but there were no reports of injuries.